What You Need to Know about the 2026 Integration Awards:
- Early bird deadline: June 25, 2026
- Regular deadline: July 31, 2026
- New categories: Best AI-Infused Project, Best Broadcast AV Project and Best Electronic Security Project
- Who should enter: Integrators with standout commercial projects completed in the last 12 months
- What winners get: Live onstage recognition, editorial exposure, marketing support, a trophy and winner logo rights
The 2026 Commercial Integrator Integration Awards are now open, and this is the time for integrators to put their best work forward. Each year, the program recognizes standout installations that solve real customer challenges and raise the bar for commercial integration. If your firm delivered a project that blended performance, creativity and measurable impact, this is your chance to earn industry recognition for it.
Why should integrators enter the 2026 Integration Awards?
Integrators should enter the 2026 Integration Awards because the program recognizes the kind of project work that builds credibility with clients, partners and future hires. These awards honor problem-solving installations across major verticals including corporate, higher education, hospitality, houses of worship, retail and more.
For many firms, an award win does more than celebrate a single project. It helps validate the quality of your team’s thinking, execution and customer service. It also gives you a stronger story to tell in new business conversations, on your website and across your marketing.
What kinds of projects are eligible for the 2026 Integration Awards?
The 2026 Integration Awards are looking for commercial integration projects that stand out for innovation, execution and results. That includes traditional AV systems as well as fast-growing areas like broadcast AV, AI-powered solutions and electronic security deployments.
Commercial Integrator is looking for projects that meet customer needs in smart, practical ways. The strongest entries will show clear goals, meaningful challenges, thoughtful design decisions and outcomes that made a difference for the client.
What are the new categories for 2026?
The new categories for 2026 are Best AI-Infused Project, Best Broadcast AV Project and Best Electronic Security Project. These additions reflect where the market is moving and where integrators are creating real value for customers.
- Best AI-Infused Project recognizes installations where AI played a meaningful role in the outcome. That could include AI-driven camera framing, searchable surveillance workflows or other practical uses of AI that improved performance, usability or efficiency.
- Best Broadcast AV Project celebrates studio and production environments that help organizations create and deliver content at a higher level. This category is especially timely as corporations, schools and other organizations invest more in in-house production and broadcast-quality experiences.
- Best Electronic Security Project honors security-focused work including video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection and alarm deployments. If your team helped a client improve safety, protect property or modernize security operations, this category is built for that work.
Why does entering the Integration Awards matter for your firm?
Entering the Integration Awards matters because recognition can extend the value of a project long after installation is complete. A strong award-winning project can help your firm stand out in a crowded market and show prospective clients what your team is capable of delivering.
Winning can also strengthen recruiting and retention efforts. Great integrators want to work for firms that do excellent work and get noticed for it. When your team earns public recognition, it reinforces your reputation as a company that solves hard problems and delivers results.
What do winners receive?
Winners receive public recognition, promotional support and tools they can use to market their achievement. Commercial Integrator plans to announce winners live onstage at CEDIA Expo/Commercial Integrator Expo.
Winners may also receive:
- Coverage consideration on CommercialIntegrator.com
- Multi-media exposure on CommercialIntegrator.com
- Promotion to more than 16,000 newsletter readers
- Visibility to more than 55,000 unique users through CommercialIntegrator.com
- A 2026 Commercial Integrator Integration Awards trophy
- The right to use the 2026 winner’s logo on a company website and in email signatures
That combination of visibility and credibility can turn a great project into a long-term business asset.
When are the submission deadlines?
The early bird deadline is June 25, 2026, and the regular deadline is July 31, 2026. Firms that want to put their best foot forward should start organizing materials now so they have time to build a strong entry.
Submitting early can also make the process easier on your team. If you already have a standout project from the past 12 months, now is the right time to package the story, gather visuals and complete your application.
What do you need to submit an entry?
You need a clear project summary, client-related permissions and supporting materials to submit an entry. Commercial Integrator asks entrants to provide the core details needed to evaluate the work fairly and completely.
Here is what you need:
- Name of the company that performed the integration
- Project overview including initial contact, overall scope, unique features, challenges and creative solutions, with a 900-word maximum
- Client reaction, with a 300-word maximum
- Equipment list
- Up to 10 high-resolution .jpg or .jpeg images at 300 dpi, with at least one image required
- Photo credits
- Client’s permission
- Permission to name the customer
- Permission for Emerald to publish
A complete and well-organized entry gives judges a much better view of the thinking and execution behind your project.
How can firms build a stronger submission?
Firms can build a stronger submission by focusing on the problem, the solution and the outcome in clear terms. Judges want to understand what the client needed, what made the project complex and how your team delivered results.
Use your overview to explain what set the project apart. Be specific about technical hurdles, user needs, creative choices and measurable impact. Strong visuals also matter. Good project photos can help bring the installation to life and show the quality of the finished work.
Why is now the right time to enter?
Now is the right time to enter because the 2026 program is open and your best recent projects are still fresh. If your team has completed an installation that deserves wider recognition, waiting only makes the submission process harder.
The Commercial Integrator Integration Awards remain one of the clearest ways for firms to showcase excellence in commercial AV and adjacent markets. If your company delivered standout AV, broadcast AV, AI-infused or electronic security work over the last year, this is your opportunity to show the industry what you built and why it matters.
Make your best work count. Start your entry now and put your firm in the running before the early bird deadline on June 25, 2026, or the regular deadline on July 31, 2026.
